Animorphs: Deadly Alliance
by Shadowblade217
Summary: The Animorphs are recruited by an Andalite admiral to investigate a strange auction being held by the Skrit Na, only to discover a deadly new enemy that threatens the entire universe, which the Andalites and Yeerks must join together to defeat. Crossover with Star Wars The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Animorphs or Star Wars.

I greatly appreciate reviews, so please review.

.

ANIMORPHS

DEADLY ALLIANCE

**DRAMATIS PERSONAE**

**Allani-Therrat-Satele (Allani);** Andalite fleet admiral (female Andalite)

**Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill (Ax);** Andalite warrior cadet (male Andalite)

**Cassie;** Animorph (female human)

**Dev Stryker;** warrior (male Mandan)

**Emily Hunter;** Eldon 193's host body (female human)

**Eldon 193;** apprentice to Visser Sixteen, human-Controller (female Yeerk)

**Erek;** member of the Chee intelligence network (Chee)

**Hetch-Tannor-Rastini;** Andalite soldier (male Andalite)

**Jet Nebula;** captain, _Auriga Fire_ (male human)

**Jake;** leader of the Animorphs (male human)

**Kalisch 87;** commander of Battle Group Eleven, human-Controller (male Yeerk)

**Marco;** Animorph (male human)

**Nirven 292;** envoy, human-Controller (male Yeerk)

**Tassaa Bareesh;** crime lord (female Skrit Na)

**Tannin-Raschin-Terras;** Andalite soldier (male Andalite)

**Rachel;** Animorph (female human)

**Sagrillo;** deputy of Tassaa Bareesh (male Skrit Na)

**Tobias;** Animorph and _nothlit_ (male; human/red-tailed hawk)

**Verona-Anator-Rimmal (Verona);** Yeerk informer (male Andalite)

**Visser Sixteen;** Hork-Bajir-Controller (male Yeerk)

**Visser Three;** commander of the Yeerk invasion of Earth, Andalite-Controller (male Yeerk)

**Yerna;** chief of security for Tassaa Bareesh (male Skrit Na)

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**PROLOGUE**

**JET NEBULA**

The light cruiser drifted against the blackness of space. Its appearance was deceptively insignificant, but to the eye of a pirate, it showed several desirable qualities: no Andalite or Yeerk markings; only moderate weaponry and shields; a crew compartment barely large enough to hold half a dozen people; and no escort or accompanying vessels.

Perfect.

"Come on, Captain," hissed the guttural voice in my ear. "Your choice. But don't take too long. Our friend here isn't going to sit still forever."

I enjoyed keeping my first mate on tenterhooks. After all, I harbored no ill feelings about the mutiny in and of itself. The moment the _Galaxy Fire_ stumbled across something valuable, a takeover had been inevitable. I had hired Redo knowing exactly that and hadn't lost much sleep over it, either. I was one of the only humans off good old planet Earth who wasn't a slave to the Yeerks, and that meant that I'd needed to learn fast. One of the things I'd learned was that dealing with scum like him was just part of the job.

I did _not_ like needless violence, however. For example, the nose of a Dracon beam digging into my side was pure and complete overkill.

"Well?" Redo prompted me as I pretended to hesitate.

"Keep your shirt on," I said in mock-protest. "We only interdicted them a minute or two ago. It's way too soon to plan a course change yet."

"Don't take any chances," Redo said, emphasizing his point with another jab from his Dracon beam. "Just be glad we don't want your ship, too."

I heard a creak to my right, and the familiar shape of Clank appeared on my right, photoreceptors glowing. I shook my head ever so slightly, and he backed out of sight again.

"Don't make me ask again," Redo said.

"All right, mate. Fine." I took the captain's seat and activated the communications equipment. "Since you put it so nicely, let's find out just who these guys are before we steal the hide off their backs."

The cruiser's running lights flickered against the blackness of space. Their systems were still settling after suddenly being yanked out of Z-space, but I felt confident that their communications were running by now. Everyone aboard would be straining to hear what the rugged-looking ship hanging off their bows had to say to them.

I took the com and began a speech that had served me well in the past: "You're nicked, my beauty. Prepare to receive boarders."

"Negative," came the immediate reply. Male, brusque, and, impossibly–human. "We do not recognize your authority."

Well, _this_ was a new one. "Who in their right mind would invest authority in the likes of us?"

"You're a privateer. You work for the Andalites."

"Now, that simply isn't true." _Not at the moment, anyway_, I thought. "We're humble grifters of an independent sort, and you happen to have strayed across our path. Now, submit easily, and I'll see that my bloodthirsty first mate here doesn't blast you all on sight."

"That won't happen. We're on a diplomatic mission."

"To whom, and from where? If I had a dollar for every time someone used that line on me, I wouldn't be talking to you right now."

A brief pause. Then, in a surprised tone, "You're human?"

"And quite proud of it, thank you. Captain Jet Nebula, of the independent vessel _Auriga Fire_, at your service. Now either prepare for boarding, or come up with a better set of excuses."

There was a longer pause. "All right, then. What will it cost for you to let us go peacefully?"

I looked at Redo, who was calling the shots. Redo's real employers were the Skrit Na, and when dealing with them, sometimes a bribe was worth as much as the loot.

He shook his head. Apparently not this time.

"You're clear out of luck, mate," I told the person on the other end of the com. "Best vent those air locks, smartish. We're coming in, and we don't want to scuff the merchandise any more than necessary."

They had nothing to say to that.

Redo barked into a communicator as I activated the engines. "Rekk, Fels, get ready to board."

Rekk and Fels were two of Redo's treacherous lot, and I wouldn't mind very much if they paid the price for the mutineers' haste. Something gave me the strong feeling that this ship wasn't giving up lightly. The lines were too lean, the hull too polished. The name on its starboard side–the only ID on it–said _**CINZIA**_ in bold black letters, recently attached. That showed pride.

No, the humans and whoever else were on that ship might not be above offering a bribe to continue on their way, but they sure weren't going to roll over easily. Few people did, these days. With the Andalites and the Yeerks at each other's throats, people were taking the law into their own hands more often.

_Yeerks…_

What if… what if those humans weren't humans after all? What if they turned out to be human-_Controllers_ instead, controlled by Yeerks? Well, that would change our whole agenda. I hated Yeerks, hated them like a disease. If that man talking to me was really a human-Controller, with a Yeerk slug in his head, well… they'd be getting what was coming to them real quick.

I turned to Redo.

"So, what do we tell our former bosses when we haul in empty?"

"Not my problem," he gloated. "On paper, you're still the captain of the_ Auriga Fire_. That means it's your job to come up with an excuse the Andalites will believe. I'll be gone by then, with the cargo."

True to form, then, the Lentian was planning to stiff me at both ends of the deal. That changed everything. I glanced at Clank, who was standing innocently in front of the entrance to the cockpit. No one was going to get in past him, if push came to shove. More important, no one would get out …

The _Auriga Fire_ had barely covered half the distance between the two ships when my misgivings about the _Cinzia_ were violently justified. A scattering of red lights danced across my instrument panels, and a buzzer sounded. I studied the display for a split second, before I leaned forward, raised every shield to full, and yelled, "Computer, main thrusters, left side, full burn!"

WHAM! The _Auriga Fire_ rolled side on to the _Cinzia_ and rocketed away from it. Redo was knocked off balance and staggered backwards. Clank caught him, deftly twisting the Dracon beam out of his hand as he did so. At that moment the vessel that had been our prize exploded, sending a blast of white light through every viewport, screen, and shield.

I'd done more than just move the ship away. I'd covered my eyes, and now I stared through my fingers at instruments gone completely haywire. There was barely anything left where the _Cinzia_ had been. Thuds and clangs registered on the hull as bits of the vessel hurtled by.

Redo was barking into his communicator again, quick on the uptake, but not nearly quick enough. "Who fired? Who ordered you to fire?"

"No one fired," I said. "They blew _themselves_ up, and if I hadn't caught the neutrino spike right before the drives went, we'd have gotten it, too."

Redo rounded on me, his face furious. "I should shoot you right here."

"With what, mate?" I nodded to Clank, who pointed the Lentian's own Dracon beam at his chest. I enjoyed watching the look of confusion on his face. "Let's start this again, shall we? We work for the Skrit Na now. I get that. One master's as good as another, provided we get the same cut. But we all get equal shares in that cut, right? Or I tell the crew, who will be spoiling for the fight they just missed, that you were about to rob some of them. And I tell Clank here, who badly needs a new oiling, to tighten his grip on that trigger and send you after the crew of that ship, whatever part of creation they may inhabit now. Savvy?"

Acceptance replaced anxiety on Redo's face. His hands came up.

"Here now, Captain. There's been some kind of misunderstanding."

"Perhaps you'd like to clarify, then."

"Sure, sure. You'll get your share, Captain. We all will. I never intended it any other way."

"And the Andalites?"

"We'll sort them out–together, like. It wouldn't be fair to leave it all up to you."

"Glad to hear that, mate." I nodded to Clank, who flipped the Dracon beam over and handed it back to Redo. "While I'm captain of this ship, as written on paper, plastic, or whatever, I expect a certain degree of civility and common purpose. So long as I have that, we're all going to get along just fine."

I swiveled around to face the instruments, confident that Clank would stop anything untoward happening behind me. And that Redo was smart enough to recognize a compromise when he saw one. I didn't mind who paid me, just like the Skrit Na didn't care who handed them their treasure, so long as someone did. It all came out in the wash, for those left standing.

"Let's see what remains of our sorry friend out there…"

The debris field where the _Cinzia_ had been was expanding fast. Our sensors tracked the largest chunks, many of which were human-sized or larger. That surprised me. A drive blowout would usually have reduced the ship to dust.

Redo leaned over me to point at a screen. "That looks like part of the forward section."

"No life signs," I commented.

"No witnesses," the Lentian said with satisfaction.

"That's normally our job," I said, although I had never killed a single person I'd robbed in all my years of pirating–not _after_ I'd robbed them, anyway. "Don't think they were doing it for us."

"Then why?"

I shrugged. "That's the billion-dollar question."

Redo rubbed his chin, considering this. He had the makings of a good first mate, when greed didn't get in the way. I'd known that the whole time, otherwise I wouldn't have hired him in the first place. "They had something aboard, something they didn't want us to get our hands on."

"Something worth more than their own lives?" I met his gaze. "Sounds pretty valuable to me."

"Even in pieces, maybe."

"Exactly what I was thinking." I indicated the copilot's seat. "Strap yourself in and take the tractor beam. Let's see what we can find."

The _Auriga Fire_ came about and began scanning the remains of the ship whose journey we had intercepted. A strange feeling troubled me as I activated the scanners. It felt like guilt, and I told myself not to give in to it. After all, _I_ hadn't killed the crew of the _Cinzia_. They had pulled that trigger all by themselves. It was just hard luck that their path had crossed mine, and my good fortune to be breathing afterwards. If my fortune continued to hold, I might yet make a profit from this deep-space run, and then, finally, I could hire a slightly more reputable brand of scum and get back into smuggling again.

Some days were better than others. Maybe this was one of them. I told myself that with all the conviction I could muster, which was plenty for a man in my trade.

And yet, one thing still puzzled me. If those humans had been Yeerks, why would they blow the ship, and themselves with it? Because the one thing that always held true about Yeerks was that, with them, self-preservation always came first. Always.

So why would they have killed themselves?

I calmed my thoughts and tried to focus on the business at hand.

What could possibly go wrong?


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Animorphs or Star Wars.

I greatly appreciate reviews, so please review.

.

**CHAPTER 1**

**Jake**

My name is Jake. Just Jake. You don't need to know my last name. It wouldn't help you very much if you did, and it sure as heck wouldn't help me. Because if I told you, then the Yeerks could find out who I was, and then, well… we don't need to go very far down that road, do we? Didn't think so.

Don't know what the Yeerks are? I'm not really surprised. _Nobody_ knows what the Yeerks are, except for two kinds of people. People like me, who spend our time fighting them. And people who they've taken. Those people can't tell anybody. And it's too dangerous for us to tell anybody, because that could let the Yeerks know who we were.

The Yeerks are aliens. Yeah, I did say aliens. They're invading Earth right now. There are thousands of them on Earth. But, if you looked at one, you probably wouldn't be able to guess what it was.

The Yeerks are slugs. They look pretty harmless, all things considered. But they have this little talent that makes them one of the most dangerous species in the galaxy. They're parasites. A Yeerk crawls into the ear of a host, burrows its way into the brain, and wraps itself around your brain like a living blanket. It sinks into all the little crevices in your brain, ties into your central nervous system, and takes complete control of your body. And, once it's in, you can't get it out.

Someone whose body has been taken over by a Yeerk is called a Controller. The Yeerks have done it to three species. They've done it to the Gedds, a species from their home planet. They've done it to the Hork-Bajir and the Taxxons, although the Taxxons agreed to it. They've even managed to do it to one Andalite. But only one. So far, at least.

They are trying to do it to humans, too. You. Me. All of us.

We're trying to stop them. "We" being five teenage humans and one Andalite. We call ourselves the Animorphs. My best friend, Marco, came up with that as our name. We are: me, the leader of the Animorphs; Marco, the Animorphs' comic relief and my best friend; Rachel, my cousin, who Marco jokingly (or not so jokingly) calls Xena, Warrior Princess; Cassie, our sensitive one and an animal lover; Tobias, who is now trapped in the body of a red-tailed hawk; and Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, the last Andalite left from the force that came to Earth to try to stop the Yeerks.

We call him Ax.

His brother, Elfangor, was the one who gave us the power to morph. The power to acquire the DNA from any living animal we touch and to _become_ that animal. To transform into it and to acquire all of its physical and mental characteristics. That's how we can fight the Yeerks and survive.

We've fought against the Yeerks hundreds of times. And yes, we have nearly died hundreds of times, too. We've fought Taxxons, Hork-Bajir, human-Controllers, and Visser Three, who happens to be the only Yeerk ever to take control of an Andalite body. It sometimes feels like it never ends.

But nothing could have prepared us for the events that began to unfold on one seemingly normal day. Well, normal for us, anyway.

I ran through the quiet street, following the unmistakable sounds of Dracon beams firing. As I ran, I found myself thinking, _Okay, where are they? Tobias should have gotten back to the others already._

See, Rachel, Tobias and I had been scouting a new meeting place for The Sharing, an organization the Yeerks use to recruit more human-Controllers. Rachel had decided she should morph to cockroach and sneak inside to investigate. I'd made her promise to stay out of sight, and then she'd morphed and slipped inside. Tobias and I had waited a short distance down the block, still within thought-speak range, and we'd heard her say that the human-Controllers seemed nervous.

At the same time, I saw a tall man–or _something_ like a man–step quietly out of an alleyway and start towards the entrance. I watched as he slipped quietly into the building.

The door closed.

Tobias called, _Rachel! Somebody just went in there!_

_Yeah,_ Rachel responded, _I think the Yeerks know about it too. These Controllers are getting really nervous now. I'm going to find an empty room to demorph in now and–_

Then we heard the sound of a Dracon beam firing.

TSEEEW! TSEEEW!

_RACHEL!_ Tobias yelled.

More shots followed. I whirled to Tobias.

"Go get the others, now! We're going to need some backup. I'm going to help Rachel."

_But–_

"Now, Tobias! Go!"

He turned, flapped his wings and shot off into the air.

I turned and ran towards the building.

As I ran, I concentrated on the image of a tiger. It was my best battle morph, and I had a feeling I'd need it, if the chorus of Dracon beam shots and explosions coming from the building were any hint of what was going on in there.

As the changes rippled through me, I fell forward. Orange-and-black fur swept across my body as I grew and a long tail lashed behind me. My hands and feet became paws, and claws extended from them where my fingers had been.

I straightened, now in the body of a tiger, and took in a deep breath, inhaling the all-too-familiar scent of smoke.

Now that I was morphed, I could talk to Rachel using thought-speak. Assuming, of course, that she was still morphed.

_Rachel? Are you there? Can you hear me?_

No answer. Which meant she'd demorphed.

Great. Now I'd have to go in there and find her. Alone.

I briefly considered waiting for the others to show up. But… no. Rachel wouldn't wait for us. She'd go charging into battle with or without us, and I needed to help her.

The sound of screams broke me out of my hesitation. In a split second I was gone, my tiger legs and muscles catapulting me towards the building, racing to help Rachel.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Animorphs or Star Wars.

I greatly appreciate reviews, so please review.

.

**CHAPTER 2**

**Rachel**

I made sure the room I was in was empty before demorphing. I began growing as my cockroach claws cracked open and vanished, before swelling into human hands and feet. My middle pair of legs, meanwhile, shriveled up and grew back into my sides, disappearing. My bulbous insect eyes shrank into those of a human, and my mandibles quickly dissolved, reforming into a human mouth.

Upon fully demorphing, I snatched up a Dracon beam that was lying on the floor nearby and checked the power. At least it was working. I crouched behind a table and set the Dracon beam to a setting that wouldn't kill, but would deliver the shock of a lifetime to anyone who was hit with it.

The weapons-fire was deafening now, and clearly came from within the building. I identified at least a dozen Dracon beams; at least one heavier weapon, a cannon of some sort; two or three human guns; and beneath all that, a different sound. A roaring, like the noise that would be made by something, maybe gases, jetting violently through a nozzle. At first, I thought it might be some kind of poison gas. Until I heard the roaring noise suddenly grown much louder, and a flash of fire briefly illuminated the hallway outside. The roaring of flames was met with the sound of Dracon beams firing and the screams of humans, Hork-Bajir and Taxxons.

That moment told me everything I needed to know about what the source of the roaring noise was.

A flamethrower.

But… the Yeerks didn't use flamethrowers, as far as I knew. The only one who'd use a flamethrower was someone who didn't care about collateral damage–or didn't care about exposing the Yeerks to any humans who might be in the area.

Something exploded in an upper room, sending a rain of bricks and dust into the street outside. I ducked instinctively, expecting the ceiling to cave in on top of me, but it held.

I came to a decision. I'd slip out of the room and find out who was doing this, then get out of here and meet up with Jake and Tobias. I counted down with my left hand. Moving in _three_ . . . _two_ . . . _one_ . . .

Silence fell.

I froze. It was like someone had flipped a switch. One minute, nine kinds of violence had been unfolding inside the building. Now there was nothing.

I lowered my hand, countdown forgotten. I wasn't going _anywhere_ until I knew what had just happened and who was involved. Besides the Yeerks, of course. I was positive about that much.

Something collapsed nearby. I gripped the Dracon beam tighter. Suddenly, footsteps crunched, moving toward the room I was in. One set of feet: that was all.

I stood up in full view of the open door, turned sideways to make myself a smaller target, and trained my Dracon beam on the darkened doorway.

The footsteps came closer – unhurried, confident, and heavy. Very heavy.

As soon as I saw movement outside the doorway, I called out in a firm voice, "Hold it right there."

A pair of booted feet assumed a standing position. Armored shins in a metallic gray and green rested above them.

"Move forward slowly."

The owner of those legs took one step, then two, revealing a figure that looked like a human, but was completely covered with armor, in the same shades of gray and green as the legs. A helmet concealed the figure's face, and he was so tall that his head brushed the top of the doorway.

"That's far enough."

"For what?"

I maintained my cool in the face of that harsh, deep voice, though it wasn't easy. I had no idea who this guy was, but I did know that, if he'd just wiped out an entire cell of human-Controllers single-handedly, then I didn't have a chance of winning a fight. I answered his question anyway. "For you to tell me what you were doing."

His domed head tilted slightly. "I was seeking information."

"So you're what? A mercenary? A bounty hunter?"

"Does it matter what I am?"

"It matters when you're killing people."

"Are you a member of The Sharing?"

"No. And I never said I was." I realized what he was driving at. "I don't have a Yeerk in my head, if that's what you're asking."

"I know that. I've already scanned your braincase. You do not have a Yeerk. But, just because you don't does not mean you don't know what they're up to." The massive figure shifted slightly, balancing himself evenly. "I'm seeking information concerning two females. Their names are Leena Toms and Xandret 994."

"Never heard of them."

"Are you certain of that?"

"I thought I was the one asking the questions."

"You were mistaken."

He raised one arm to point at me. A hatch in his armor opened up, revealing the flamethrower I'd heard in action earlier. I steadied my grip on the Dracon beam and quietly settled my finger on the trigger, trying to figure out how to turn it up to maximum power before he could roast me.

_I wouldn't do that if I were you,_ said a commanding thought-speak voice.

I recognized it instantly.

The armored figure turned slightly to his right, as I looked briefly to my left, to see Jake in his tiger morph crouched on the floor, staring intently at the armored figure.

"Jake!"

Unfortunately, seeing him caused me to drop my guard momentarily.

A sheet of flames roared at me. I ducked, and it seared through the air so close to me that I actually heard a sizzle as a few strands of my hair were incinerated.

I fired a shot from the Dracon beam, which was deflected harmlessly by the armored figure's chest plate, and hurled myself into cover.

I had a feeling that this fight wasn't going to be easy.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Animorphs or Star Wars.

I greatly appreciate reviews, so please review.

.

**CHAPTER 3**

**Jake**

I took in a confrontation with a glance. I had no idea who this armored man was, but I was willing to bet that he was the one I'd seen walk in here right before all the firing had started. I was also willing to bet that me in tiger morph and Rachel as a human, despite the fact that she was armed with a Dracon beam, would not be able to beat this guy by ourselves. Either I'd need to buy some time while Rachel morphed to something big enough to take him down, or, better yet, we could hold him off until the others arrived. I wasn't betting on either possibility, but we'd have to do our best.

Then fire seared over Rachel's head, and the tiger's instincts took over. As Rachel ducked for cover, I coiled and sprang, hurling myself through the air–only to be caught by a net that he'd fired at me. My claws made short work of the netting, and I shook myself free. Rachel raised the Dracon beam and fired, but the beam was deflected by the figure's armor.

Suddenly, the whine of a jetpack on the suit activating filled the air. The armored figure lifted off, but only got about three feet into the air before I leaped into the air and slammed into him, knocking him sideways into the wall.

With a snarl, the armored man landed heavily on both feet and fired two darts in quick succession, both aimed at my face. I ducked with lightning speed, but even the tiger's reflexes weren't quite fast enough. One of the darts missed, but the other hit my left ear. Fortunately, the needle on the end went right through the thin flesh, and it was easy for me to rip it out with a swift blow from one of my front paws.

I realized that, from a distance, I was at a disadvantage. This guy's suit was loaded with ranged weapons, but so far he hadn't done any fighting up close. If I could get close enough to strike–with Rachel still keeping up a steady stream of cover fire–I might just get lucky.

The armored figure fired two rockets from his shoulders. Not aimed at me, but at the ceiling and the floors above it. Rubble rained down around us, diverting my concentration to avoiding it. He took advantage of that by diving under my guard and grabbing me around the throat. Lifting me by the neck, he hurled me bodily against a wall.

I landed on my left side, then scrambled to my feet, dazed by the force of impact. Shaking my head vigorously, I turned to face my opponent, ready to attack again.

The armored figure ran sideways, leaping onto a pile of rubble before activating his jetpack again and rocketing upwards. He accelerated straight through the hole his rockets had blasted through the ceiling and the floors above us, racing out through the hole in the roof. I leaped after him, determined to catch him.

"He's getting away!"

Rachel's cry was followed by another explosion. What looked like a grenade hurled behind the escaping armored man destroyed most of the roof and sent a cloud of debris and smoke rising into the air, as rubble rained down onto the street and into the building. I scrambled up onto what was left of the roof and looked around.

The armored figure had vanished. Up, sideways, back down into the street or the alley behind the building–there was absolutely no way to tell which direction he'd chosen to go. I scanned the area, but couldn't find any trace of him. Upon looking up, however, I did find someone else.

Four birds of prey–a red-tailed hawk, a northern harrier and two ospreys–were circling overhead. After they saw me, they came in and landed gracefully on the damaged roof.

_We saw the explosion,_ Tobias said. _You okay?_

_Thanks, Tobias. I'm afraid you guys missed the fight, though._

_What happened?_ Cassie asked me.

_I'll explain later,_ I replied. _Right now, we need to get back down to Rachel. Follow me._

I climbed carefully down through the hole that the armored figure had blown through the building, followed by the others. Within a few seconds, I was dropping casually back down into the room where Rachel and I had been fighting the armored figure.

"What happened?" Rachel asked.

_He got away,_ I answered.

"Rats."

_Okay, guys,_ I called. _You can come down now._

The others swooped down through the hole and joined us in the room. Tobias landed next to Rachel.

_Are you all right?_

"Yeah," she responded. "Man, that guy was tough!" She turned to me.

_What guy?_ Marco asked.

I was already demorphing. As my human mouth returned, I started talking. "We'll explain once we get back to Cassie's barn. The police'll probably be here any minute, or, more likely, the Yeerks. We need to get out of here."

_Wait!_ Cassie was facing the open door. _I hear something._

I listened, and realized I could hear it too. Ragged breathing, coming from beyond the door.

Cassie hopped off the table she'd been perched on to the floor and began demorphing, the changes rippling through her body as she grew swiftly to human size. Once she was fully human, she slipped out the door. Rachel and I followed her as the others hopped to the floor behind us and began to demorph, except for Tobias, who stayed in his natural hawk shape.

Cassie had already found the person who was breathing–a middle-aged man, crumpled on the floor behind a shattered crate, burned down his left side and with a dart wound to his neck, lying in a pool of his own blood. The blood was rapidly spreading. As she bent over him to check his wounds, he looked up at us.

"Dev Stryker." His voice was a weak gasp, not helped by his throat wound. "He came out of nowhere. We… didn't stand a chance. He slaughtered us."

"The man in armor?" Rachel asked, leaning forward. "Is that who you're talking about?"

The human-Controller nodded weakly. "Dev Stryker. Wanted what we had. We wouldn't give it to him."

Rachel leaned in close to him, and I crouched down next to her, staring at his face. This man would be a Controller to the end, ruled by the Yeerk in his head. See, if a host dies, the Yeerk dies, too. Unless they leave the host, which doesn't happen very often.

"What did you have?" Cassie asked gently.

"What did he want?" I put in.

His eyes rolled up into his head. "_Cinzia_," he coughed, spitting blood. "_Cinzia_."

"And that is…?" Rachel asked, leaning closer as his breathing failed. "Hold on–help's coming–just hold on!"

I leaned back. There was nothing we could do. That Controller had said his last.

"What did he mean, _Cinzia_?"

"No idea."

"Okay, now would somebody kindly fill us in?" Marco asked.

I nodded. "All right. Basically, Rachel was in here in cockroach morph. Some guy slipped in here, and then the place went berserk. Dracon beams firing, explosions, screams. I sent Tobias back to bring the rest of you guys here to help, and then morphed tiger and ran in to help Rachel."

"I was in here," Rachel put in. "After I demorphed, I grabbed a Dracon beam that was lying on the floor and waited. All of a sudden, all the violence just stopped. Then this guy walks in. He was _huge_–over seven feet tall, I'd guess. To give you an idea, he actually brushed his head against the top of the doorway without stretching when he walked through it. He was also wearing armor from head to toe, colored gray and green. That armor actually deflects Dracon beams."

"He obviously wasn't human, or he wouldn't have known about the Yeerks. And humans don't have weapons and gear like that. So what was he?"

_A Mandan._

All eyes turned to Ax as he stepped forward.

"What?" I asked.

_I will explain when we get back to Cassie's barn. Right now, I believe we should leave before more Yeerks or human police arrive here._

"You're probably right," I replied. "Let's morph."

"By the way," Rachel responded. "He asked me about two women. The names he used were Leena Toms and Xandret 994. Anyone ever heard of either of those?"

"No. Not _Cinzia_, either."

_Let's get going,_ Tobias put in.

"He's right," I said. "Time to go."


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Animorphs or Star Wars.

I greatly appreciate reviews, so please review.

.

**CHAPTER 4**

**Eldon 193**

I licked my wounds all the way back to the Pool ship.

Not literally my wounds, because my own body hadn't actually been injured, but my host body's wounds.

My name is Eldon 193. I am a Yeerk. I was born about fifteen years ago, and I have had several different host bodies in my lifetime. I have been promoted as far up as the one hundreds, and I am an apprentice to a Visser. Visser Sixteen, to be exact.

My current host body was a human girl named Emily Hunter. She was about sixteen human years old, and she'd been my host for the past six months. From my ability to read her memories, I knew how she had become a Controller.

Emily's mother had disappeared perhaps fifteen years before she joined The Sharing. After her mother's disappearance and presumed death, she had become the target of her grieving father's rages and occasional abuse. After living for nearly her entire life in a living hell of physical and mental pain, she had become desperate and had joined The Sharing in an effort to escape the nightmare. After about three months, she had become a full member, and I had been installed inside her brain.

Emily had been a gift for me from my Master, Visser Sixteen. Before she had become my host, I had controlled a Hork-Bajir. A young Hork-Bajir, but nonetheless one who had fought me with every breath in her body. It had been a relief to me to be able to receive a new host. A human, this time.

At first, Emily had fought me as hard as she could. Eventually, however, she had come to realize that her current situation might be preferable to the abuse she had suffered. But she asked one thing of me. She asked me to get her away from her family, where she would never have to face her father's drunken rages ever again.

I had found no difficulty with complying.

I had her father infested. He became a host for a low-ranking Yeerk and was sent out to fight on the front lines of the war with the Andalites. In all likelihood, he was dead.

_Who was that?_ Emily asked me as my Bug fighter accelerated towards the Pool ship. _And what did he want from you?_

_He knew I was a Yeerk,_ I said. _And I think he was a Mandan._

At last, the Yeerk Pool ship loomed ahead of us. It housed thousands of our kind, and was the flagship for the invasion of the humans' homeworld. I stared through Emily's eyes at it, awed by this symbol of Yeerk power and might.

It was aboard the Pool ship that I would meet with my Master, Visser Sixteen.

The debriefing went just as badly as I had feared.

"Tell me again," instructed Visser Sixteen, in his deep-toned, hissing Hork-Bajir voice, "how your mission failed."

He was inside his meditation sarcophagus, which he used to isolate himself completely from outside matters by spending one hour a day inside it with no light whatsoever, testing his own endurance. Now, however, the lid was open, and I could see his face inside as he glared at me with his piercing, cold eyes.

Visser Sixteen had been sent by the Council of Thirteen, back on our homeworld, to examine Visser Three's progress in the invasion of Earth. His ultimate ambition was to make it onto the Council himself… as was mine, of course.

A Yeerk who does not hunger for some form of power is not a true Yeerk.

"I was successful at infiltrating a cell of The Sharing, Master," I said. "But my cover was exposed and I was forced to defend myself."

"An Andalite?" Visser Sixteen's eyes were fixed on me, eagerness plainly visible in them. If Visser Sixteen could capture the "Andalite bandits" that had been giving Visser Three so much trouble, then a place of great power for him was practically ensured.

"No, Master," I said. "I was exposed by another. One whose people were once allies in our war against the Andalites."

"So." Visser Sixteen rose out of his meditation sarcophagus and stared at me, apparently considering what I had told him. "A Mandan."

"Yes," I replied. "His name was Dev Stryker. He captured and questioned me."

"He interrogated you?" Visser Sixteen glared at me. "I assume that you did not answer him?"

"I would rather suffer a lingering death at your hands, Master." In that, at least, I was completely truthful. I would never reveal information to anyone under interrogation, even if I did not know the answers to their questions. "He did not torture me. I was injured only in self-defense." I held my hands out towards him, showing him the wounds I had sustained at Dev Stryker's hands.

"Very good. I would expect nothing less of you, Eldon," Visser Sixteen said coldly. "What did he ask you?"

I hesitated. "He asked me questions to which I knew no answer. He was looking for something. Or someone. He asked me about two women. One was human, the other a Yeerk. He also mentioned a ship. The names he used were unfamiliar to me."

"What were they?"

I thought back to the names Dev Stryker had used. "Leena Toms. Xandret 994. The _Cinzia_."

Visser Sixteen's wrist blade was pressed against my throat before I could say another word.

"_What?_" he hissed into my ear. "What did you say?"

I fought to clear my head. I knew that if I did not answer him, he would happily kill me in a split second. "L-Leena Toms. Xandret 994. The _Cinzia_. Do those names mean anything to you, Master?"

Visser Sixteen's wrist blade withdrew. He stepped away from me. Abruptly, he turned his back on me and started towards the door.

"Come. We must go."

I paused, trying to catch my breath. "Where?"

"To the archives."

I followed Visser Sixteen deep into the Pool ship, to a vast room filled with computer servers. This room was the Pool ship's connection to the Yeerk archives and records. I was mildly surprised by this, as Visser Sixteen rarely showed the slightest interest in the archives.

Visser Sixteen stopped at a computer station in front of a massive screen. He switched the computer on and began a search, his fingers tapping at the keyboard.

"The Yeerk Empire has records of every Yeerk soldier and scientist that was ever involved in our service, as well as of every host that they have used. This means that we will be able to find information about Xandret 994."

Visser Sixteen made an adjustment on the keyboard and then stepped back. He looked up at the huge screen and watched as the screen began to scroll past countless rows of names. This was a list of Yeerk soldiers and personnel.

"Xandret 994 was a scientist. She was a member of a team that developed new weapons to use in our war. She designed a new prototype Bug fighter just a few months before her desertion."

"She was a deserter?" I asked, surprised. Very few Yeerks ever deserted. There was nowhere for them to go, without Yeerk pools and fellow Yeerks for company.

On the other hand, this did explain why Dev Stryker would be interested in information on one seemingly normal Yeerk.

"Yes. Xandret 994 deserted fifteen years ago. A number of her colleagues, and their host bodies, went with her."

"But what about Leena Toms?"

Visser Sixteen looked into my eyes. A smile split his Hork-Bajir face. And he chuckled.

"I believe that you are more closely acquainted with Leena Toms than I am, Eldon. Your host body is her daughter, after all."

Complete and total shock filled my mind. Not my shock, but Emily's.

_Leena,_ Emily whispered. _That was my mother's name. Her full name was Leena Toms Hunter._

I myself was stunned for a few moments. Then my mind took over once more.

"How?" I asked, stepping forward as I did. "And how does Xandret 994 fit into this?"

Visser Sixteen turned away from the keyboard and stared at me.

"Xandret 994 deserted because her daughter, the young Yeerk that she cared for more than anything else, was taken from her. A Visser chose this promising young Yeerk as his apprentice, and so the child had to go. Consumed by despair, Xandret tried to hide her child from us. But the child was found and taken, and Xandret 994 was sentenced to death. But she escaped, along with some of her colleagues, and was never seen or heard from again."

Visser Sixteen stepped closer to me and locked eyes with me, holding me in a piercing gaze. It seemed like he was staring into my very soul.

"Xandret 994 has a great deal to do with Leena Toms, and with you."

I spoke, hesitant. "What does she have to do with Leena Toms?"

"Leena Toms was Xandret 994's host body. Leena was taken with her when she deserted ten years ago. That is why she disappeared."

My eyes widened in surprise.

_She didn't leave me,_ Emily gasped. _She didn't…_

I forced myself to concentrate. Visser Sixteen had said that Xandret 994 was also connected to me. How?

"Master… you said that Xandret 994 was connected to both Leena Toms and me. How is she connected with me?"

"You do not remember her name, do you, Eldon?"

He stepped even closer and stared deeper into my eyes. I found myself unable to move or look away.

"The block is deep," he murmured. His clawed hand gently reached out and touched my left temple. "It has been in your mind for a long time, Eldon. But now the time has come to remove it. To let you see your life as it truly was. I release you, Eldon. You are free to know the truth about your past."

I staggered as if a Dracon beam had just gone off in my head. Shock seared through my mind, as if a dam had just burst inside it.

"She was your mother, Eldon," said Visser Sixteen. "Does that answer your question?"

Dimly, through the complete and utter shock that filled both my and Emily's minds, I supposed it did.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Animorphs or Star Wars.

I greatly appreciate reviews, so please review.

.

**CHAPTER 5**

**Ax**

Once we arrived back at Cassie's barn and demorphed, Prince Jake, Rachel and the others immediately began pressing me with questions.

"Okay, Ax. You said you'd tell us who that guy was once we got back here. Now, who was he?"

I stared at Prince Jake. _He was a Mandan warrior. I have heard of them before now, but I have never seen one before._

"Okay," Rachel asked, "so he's a Mandan. One question. What is a Mandan?"

I straightened and swiveled one of my stalk eyes around to look at Rachel. _The Mandans are a race of warriors, nomads, and mercenaries. We have fought alongside them in our war against the Yeerks, and against them as well. They have no allegiance to one side or the other, and simply work for whoever can pay them more._

Prince Jake nodded. "Okay, so they're an entire species of mercenaries."

_That is the most accurate description, yes,_ I replied.

"So… what would a Mandan want on Earth?"

_Information, most likely,_ I replied. _This Mandan – Dev Stryker, that Controller called him – may have been searching for information on someone or something to do with the Yeerks. That would be why he went to a local cell of The Sharing._

_One question, though,_ Tobias said from where he was perched on a rafter. _What did that Controller say he wanted?_

"Something called the _Cinzia_," Rachel answered.

I considered. _Cinzia is a name. But the way the Controller put it, perhaps he was referring not to a person named Cinzia, but to a ship named the _Cinzia_._

Rachel looked over at me. "Yeah, that might fit. He also asked me about two people. One of them was probably a Yeerk, the other one was human. The names were Leena Toms and Xandret 994. Ever heard of either of them?"

_No,_ I responded. _But it does sound as if Xandret 994 is a Yeerk's name. It would fit. Perhaps Leena Toms is the Yeerk's host body. That would explain a connection between them._

"But how does a ship called the _Cinzia_ fit into all of this?" Marco asked, disbelief evident in his voice. "I mean, the Yeerks don't normally go in for ships called _Cinzia_."

"You're right, Marco, they don't," Cassie agreed. "I mean, _Cinzia_'s a human name, not a Yeerk name. But then again, how else does that tie in with all of this?"

_I do not know,_ I said. _But if it is a ship, then that is one of our only possible explanations for how those three things are connected._

Suddenly, Marco's cell phone rang. He pulled it out and opened it. "Hello? Oh. Yeah, I'm at Cassie's. What's up? Got it. See you then."

He disconnected and turned to us. "That was Erek. He needs to talk to us."

About ten minutes later, Erek King arrived at the barn.

Erek is one of the Chee, a race of intelligent androids that were built by a now-extinct species known as the Pemalites. He uses advanced hologram technology to take on the appearance of a human. Inside the hologram, however, he is a bipedal android which vaguely resembles a dog walking on its hind legs. Erek is programmed so that he is not able to fight or harm any living creature. This means that he cannot fight the Yeerks. Instead, the Chee serve as spies and espionage agents for us. Their hologram technology means that they can disguise themselves as practically anything.

Prince Jake wasted no time. "Okay, Erek. What did you need to talk to us about?"

Erek looked at us for a moment, then spoke. "Yesterday, I intercepted a transmission on the communications frequency normally used by Andalite ships."

_Andalite ships?_ I asked eagerly. Finally, other members of my people might have arrived! At long last, we might have reinforcements to help us in our fight. And I could rejoin my own people.

Erek nodded. "I don't think that there are any Andalite ships in this solar system, though. I think this transmission was intended for the Andalite force that was destroyed here months ago. I believe you're familiar with that one," he said, looking at me.

That task force had been the one commanded by my brother Elfangor. The one that had been destroyed by the Yeerks several Earth months ago. Its destruction had resulted in my crash-landing on Earth and meeting the Animorphs.

_Yes,_ I said quietly. _I am._

_Who was the message from?_ Tobias asked.

Erek looked over at Tobias. "The message was from an Admiral Allani-Therrat-Satele. Are you familiar with that name, Ax?"

A bolt of shock lanced through my body. I stared, momentarily stunned, at Erek. _Admiral _Allani_?_ I asked. _Yes, I know her. She is one of the greatest Andalite military commanders of all time. She knew Elfangor, too. I met her once, but only from a distance, when she met with Elfangor at a state function._

"So, I'm guessing she's important," Marco said.

I nodded. _Yes. Admiral Allani was the one who sent our task force to Earth. She will therefore have been the one who would be investigating its disappearance._

"Wait. Is there any way we can contact her?" Prince Jake asked Erek. "We need to tell her that Elfangor's dead, for one thing. And maybe we can ask her to send reinforcements to Earth."

Erek nodded. "Yes, I think I may be able to respond to the signal, but first I'll need to figure out where the signal originated from. Then I can send our own signal back to the source and establish contact with them. I should have the point or origin located by tomorrow."

"All right," Prince Jake said. "Let us know as soon as you find the source of the signal. Let's meet up back here at this time tomorrow."

_Let us hope this works, Prince Jake,_ I said.

"Ax? You really, really don't need to call me prince."

_Yes, Prince Jake._


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Animorphs or Star Wars.

I greatly appreciate reviews, so please review.

.

**CHAPTER 6**

**Verona-Anator-Rimmal**

My name is Verona-Anator-Rimmal. I am an Andalite _aristh_, and I function as an aide to Admiral Stent-Cress-Torres.

I am also an informer and spy for the Yeerk Empire. I believe that the Andalite government is woefully inadequate to do the job that it must accomplish, and that the Yeerks have a much more controlled and efficient system of government. To that end, I have spent several years supplying the Yeerks with whatever information I can obtain from my position – which, gratifyingly, is quite a lot, thanks to my current position.

The good days, for me, are those where I do not have to do much – the days when I can simply stand quietly at my station, listening to whatever chatter I can pick up until it is time for me to leave for the day. The best days are when I am not called on to do anything at all, but can simply wait in the background and listen.

The bad days, however, are when I am thrust out of the shadows and into the light, such as when I am called on to take notes, conduct research, or offer advice. It isn't so much that I need to do those things as that I have to perform two demanding jobs at once while still keeping anyone from finding out. On those days, my head often aches so much that it feels like it could crack open.

The day I first heard about the _Cinzia_ was a very bad day indeed.

Admiral Stent was having a very busy day, with many visitors pouring in and out. I had no idea how he could stand it. My patience wasn't nearly as dedicated as his. Then, of course, came the request for a meeting by Admiral Allani-Therrat-Satele, which threw Admiral Stent's schedule completely out of balance.

_Can't you just put her off until tomorrow?_ Stent asked his secretary through the thought-speak communicator link to the other room outside his office, annoyance in his voice. _She was here just an hour ago._

_No, Admiral,_ the female secretary said. _She says it is important._

_Oh, very well. Send her in._

Stent sighed after disconnecting with the secretary. The door opened, and Admiral Allani stepped through. She looked just as formidable as I had heard from those who had met her before.

_Admiral Stent,_ she said, inclining her head in a gesture of respect. Stent responded in kind.

_Admiral Allani,_ he said, returning the nod._ How can I help you?_

_I've received a report of a possible bounty hunter wreaking havoc on several of the worlds where we are currently in conflict with the Yeerks,_she said in measured tones._Running riot among the criminal districts, apparently._

_That's a minor issue. Why bring it to me?_

_Your brief is ensuring security on our worlds,_ she replied. _Furthermore, the bounty hunter is a Mandan._

My eyes narrowed as I contemplated her words. Some years earlier, at the time when the Yeerks moved against the Hork-Bajir homeworld, a Mandan blockade along one of our primary navigation routes had crippled our ability to send reinforcements, forcing us to send only a fraction of the ships we'd intended to and resulting in the planet's falling to the Yeerks. We'd eventually broken the blockade, destroying a significant portion of the Mandan fleet in the process, but it had been too late to save the Hork-Bajir. Since their defeat, little had been heard from the Mandans, although suspicion was rampant that they were recovering and rearming in preparation to rejoin the war. I wasn't the only Andalite who knew that the Yeerks had been behind the anti-Andalite actions, and that the Mandans were still looking for a fight. If they were considering launching a renewed offensive against us, it had to be addressed immediately.

_What can you tell me about him?_ Stent asked.

_His name is Dev Stryker. He's looking for information regarding a Yeerk named Xandret 994, a member of their newest target species – a human – named Leena Toms, and something called _Cinzia_._

I stiffened at the last name. I'd heard that name somewhere else recently. But where, exactly?

_I don't have time to investigate every minor disruption,_ Stent replied. _Verona! Look into it, will you?_

I jumped at the mention of my name. _Sir?_

_Follow up this incident for Admiral Allani. Report to both of us when you find something. _If_ you find something._

The last was directed at Allani with a generous amount of ill feeling.

_Of course, sir,_ I replied.

_Thank you, Verona, Admiral. I'm most grateful._

With that, Admiral Allani swept from the room, watched resentfully by Stent and his staff. Every department we had was overstretched and understaffed. The last thing anyone wanted was people like Allani sticking their noses in, finding fault, and handing over _more_ work.

Stent turned back to his computer screen with a sigh. _All right, Verona. You'd better get started._

_Yes, sir._ I inclined my head in obedience. Turning, I walked out of the office and headed towards the headquarters of my opposite number among the Andalites.

The Office of Strategic Information didn't advertise its offices, but anyone in our administration with any seniority knew where they were. I'd only visited there once before, and I hadn't enjoyed the place. In fact, I'd made a point of avoiding it ever since.

I masked my nervousness behind a façade of calm as I entered the spacious atrium. The secretary nodded to me.

_Can I help you, sir?_

_Verona-Anator-Rimmal, adviser to Admiral Stent._

She nodded and waved me through. I was met in a conference room by an unreadable female Andalite, older than I was, carrying a datapad.

_Admiral Stent requests information,_ I said calmly.

_Why doesn't he follow the usual channels, then?_ she replied.

_We need an answer quickly._

_Ask, then._

I nodded and gave her the Mandan's name and the other names associated with the case. She began tapping the controls on the datapad with one hand while holding it in the other.

_A ship registered to Dev Stryker landed on Torus six standard days ago,_ she finally said. _It left four days ago. Since then, there are no reports._

_What was the name and class of the ship?_

First Blood_, a modified D7 _Scimitar_-class assault ship._

_Destination?_

_Unknown._

_What about Xandret 994? Or Leena Toms?_

_We have no records of either of those names._

_Nothing at all?_

_Nothing._

I wasn't getting very far with her, but I had one question left.

_What about the fourth name, _Cinzia_?_

_We have three appearances: two from the Senate and one from an allied spy network. All three point to the same source._

_Who are the Senators?_

_The representatives from Saari and Nelan._

_And what was their source?_

She tapped the datapad again. _Both Senators and the spy network report on an unusual auction on the Skrit Na homeworld of Nar Hadda, by a Skrit Na crime lord named Tassaa Bareesh. Tenders have been called for._

_Where does the name _Cinzia_ fit in?_

_It appears to be a vessel of some kind._

_Anything else?_

_Just speculation among the three parties. I can offer you no hard facts._

I thought quickly. So Dev Stryker was real, and the _Cinzia_, too. But what was one doing sneaking around Andalite worlds while the other was in Skrit Na space? How were they connected?

_Thank you,_ I said. _You've been very helpful._

She walked me back to the atrium and left me there. The secretary waved cheerfully as I left. A film of sweat covered me from head to foot. It could have gone much worse, I told myself, if they knew what you really are…

Fortunately, I had a contact in the office of the Senator from Saari. I made an appointment by communicator as I walked. With any luck, this whole thing could be wrapped up by the end of the day and my life could return to normal.

_..._

_Oh, I know exactly what you're talking about,_ breezed Hunet-Cablan-Ragni, an aide to the Senator from Saari, as we stood together inside one of the atriums of the Senate Building.

_Then do tell me, please,_ I replied, focusing my main eyes on his face while my stalk eyes continued to scan the room.

_The Senator's offices on Saari received a communiqué from Tassaa Bareesh seven days ago. Do you know who she is?_

_A member of the Skrit Na Bareesh Cartel, I presume._

_The _head_ of the Bareesh Cartel, the matriarch. She has close ties to the Yeerks, so we keep an eye on her as best we can. There's nothing we can do about the smuggling, but open slavery is something we try to crack down on._

I nodded. Saari's home sector was on the border of Skrit Na space, so the behavior of the cartels could have a very destabilizing effect on their local economy. _Go on._

_The communiqué was a sales pitch, really, and a fairly unsubtle one at that. Bareesh was attempting to interest us in something one of her pirates had found in an outlying sector. Information, apparently, and an unspecified artifact. She didn't say where they had come from, exactly; way out past Rim was the only hint she dropped. We didn't pay much heed to it at first, naturally._

_So you ignored the communiqué? _I prompted.

_Yes, and that normally would have been the end of it. Except another one arrived, and then another, each adding a little to the story until eventually we had to pay attention._

_To what, exactly?_

_The Skrit Na have found a ship. The _Cinzia_. There was something inside it, apparently, an artifact they're trying to sell, but that's not the most important thing. What really makes this interesting is where the ship came from._

I was getting tired of playing games._ Just tell me, will you?_

_I can't. That information is what the Skrit Na are selling._ Hunet leaned forward, lowering his voice. _Think about it. How would you like to be the one to hand the Andalite government a previously unknown, resource-rich world, ripe for the picking?_

I kept my expression neutral. So _that_ was what this was about. New worlds weren't exactly hard to come by, but anything steeped in minerals or biosphere was fiercely contested between the Andalites and the Yeerks. If the Skrit Na had really stumbled across the location of one such world, there was indeed a real chance to profit from the knowledge.

_Are you sure it's real? Not just another scam?_ I asked Hunet.

_As sure as we can be,_ he replied.

_Thank you for the information,_ I replied.

_No problem, _he replied._ Always glad to help._

I turned, walked across the atrium, and exited the building.

After notifying Stent that I was hot on the case, I went immediately home and sent a coded signal on a particular frequency known only to me. Readying myself, I took up my position in front of the holoprojector. This was the part of my job that I liked the least.

A ghostly image appeared before me, flickering blue with static. There was little more than a hint of a face, and the voice was both genderless and species-less. I had no idea who I was really speaking to.

"Report," said Watcher Three.

I summed up everything I knew in as few words as possible: A ship from an unknown, unaffiliated, resource-rich world had been captured by the Skrit Na, who were offering information about it to the highest bidder. That same ship was the subject of a search by a Mandan, Dev Stryker. Two other names, Leena Toms and Xandret 994, were also implicated. The origins of the ship were unknown, as was its cargo, the mysterious object that Hunet had alluded to. Both were currently up for auction.

When I finished my report, the line crackled and fizzed for nearly half a minute before Watcher Three responded.

"Very good. This is a matter of concern to the Council. Maintain a close watch and report all developments."

_Yes, sir._

"Dismissed."

The transmission ended, and I sagged with relief.

_Maintain a close watch and report all developments._

That I could do. Exhausted from my day of talking, I filed a written report for Admiral Stent. Then I slipped into my sleeping niche and quickly fell asleep.


End file.
